Flares
by Cookie M 2012
Summary: He lost them... He failed to protect them... He felt no one was feeling the same guilt he was experiencing... Until he met someone... Who sang the same tune. *I own nothing but the story plot*


**Flares**  
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A lone man crawled out into the cloudy opening, trying to flap the smoke out of the way. The smog was thick and vast, and he wasn't sure how long it was going to take for it to lift. His throat was raw from shouting orders and giving out his battle cries, but his vision was more vivid than his surroundings. Fanning away the clouds again, he called out after a hoarsely cough; "Anyone there?"

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 ** _..._** ** _Did you lose what won't return?_** _"Take our son," He ordered his beloved wife, Emerald, as she scooped up their son,_ _Wúgū. "And run away! GO!"_ She did so, and he hasn't been able to fight off the enemy and follow her to safety. There was too many of them all at once. "Hello?" _**...Did you love but never learn?**_ He felt something hard under foot before he had time to break it. Lifting it immediately, he caught sight of a glint of gold through the smog. Coughing heavily, he reached down, to pick up a locket. Nothing too big or flashy; just a simple, circular locket, sat lonesome in his paw.

"Over here!" He heard someone cry. It was Lan, his neighbor, materializing in front of him, but seemed just as tired, and as dazed as he was. "Where's Emerald?" ** _...The fire's out but still it burns._**

"I don't know yet..." He looked down at the locket and closed his fingers over it. It wasn't his, and he needed to find out who it belonged to... after he found Emerald. "What about your family?" ** _...And no one cares, there's no one there..._**

"Su made it to the safety grounds, maybe Emerald will be there too?" He reached out his paw, and they they were roughly entwined together. "Don't think of the worst," he continued as they helped one another to move out of the battlefield. "Think the best first..." He patted his back as he gave another cough, "always Li."

... **_Did you find it hard to breathe?_** He saw many familiar faces fogging his surroundings. But she wasn't there... **_Did you cry so much that you could barely see?_** It broke all their hearts to see him on his knees, completely torn as he looked down at a photo he had of his wife and son. Mother's and Father's held their children tighter, Brothers held their Sisters, and Husbands held their Wives closer against them, as those like Li, whom had lost someone, held what they had left of them; whether it was a photo, a scent, a trinket... or even a cuddly toy. Emerald wasn't there... she was no where to be seen... and neither was his son... his nightmare was coming to life. Of all the things he was afraid of, it had to be this one... **_You're in the darkness all alone..._** ** _And no one cares, there's no one there..._**

" ** _But did you see the flares in the sky?"_** But then there was a sound in the distance. Li turned as if he heard the source, and watched it through his blurry, teary vision. There was someone singing, far away from them. _**"W**_ ** _ere you blinded by the light?"_** It wasn't his beloved Emerald... but this voice shared the same emotion they were all feeling... pain, confusion, anger, sadness... " ** _Did you feel the smoke in your eyes, d_** ** _id you, did you?_** ** _Did you see the sparks filled with hope?_** ** _You are not alone..."_** Li and Lan exchanged glances, before Lan gave a quick nod- and Li was off. **_'Cause someone's out there, sending out flares..._**

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He started running for in the direction for the voice. It didn't seem too far away... maybe this person can help him? Help him find Emerald? There may still be hope... that she and their son were there somewhere, safe and sound... _think the best first... always._ The wind roared in his ears as he climbed up the hill that was in his way of getting to the voice.

 ** _Did you break but never mend?_** He dragged himself up the last bit he had left on the hill... where he was met by a silhouette, a few away from him. It spoke nothing as Li slowly looked up at him, immediately seeing his bright red eyes. "...h-help me." Li whispered fearfully. "I'm looking for... someone." **_Did it hurt so much you thought it was the end?_** "The one who owns the voice in this direction... does he need help? Do you know him?" The silhouette remained silent. **_Lose your heart but don't know when..._** "I need your help. My village has just been attacked by a Lord... I... I think I lost my family..." **_And no one cares, there's no one there..._** He looked into the figure's eyes pleadingly, as they glowed brightly through the mist that circled them. "Please..." At first it said nothing... until he inhaled;

 ** _"But did you see the flares in the sky?"_** Li stared up at him, wide-eyed as a black and white paw reached down to him. He held on, breathing heavily. **_"Were you blinded by the light?"_** Off came the hood, and revealed a tiger, one side illuminated by the redness of the small fires around them., and the other... wounded. Li couldn't take his eyes off that side, until they were both distracted by the locket that fell out of Li's paw. _**"**_ ** _Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?"_ ** This tiger reached down for it slowly, and opened it as he stood up straight. _**"**_ ** _Did you, did you?"_** Li didn't realize it was one of those, but instead of paying attention of whatever contents were inside, he kept his eye on the stranger... and felt his paws close into fists as the tiger held it to his chest. " ** _Did you see the sparks filled with hope?"_ ** He then showed what was inside to Li with consent; Li saw the same tiger that was in front of him, but he was standing with a beautiful tigress, and a cub, a little girl.. was sleeping soundly in his arms. When Li looked back up, tears were streaming down his cheeks, as he pointed in the direction the panda came from. **_"_** ** _You are not alone..."_** Li's eyes widened at the thought, and without warning, he wrapped his arms around the tiger, not caring if the tiger was going to leaving blood on him... _he_ was the voice, _he_ was in pain, the same _he_ was experiencing. He lost his wife, his child... everything that meant to him... and they needed each other... to get through that grief together. **_'Cause someone's out there, sending out flares..._**

 ** _"Someone's out there, sending out flares."_**

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 ** _Did you lose what won't return?_** "My daughter's name was Sunset, and my wife was Hua... my village was attacked too... the white tigers there were mainly the target... me being one of them. My wife took my daughter in hopes for hide them both... but I haven't seen her, or my daughter since." Hung held his head in his paws as he and Li sat with a class of panda and tiger children by a small shrine. Time had drawn it's lines upon their faces, and Hung's injuries left their permanent marks on one side. He kept his eye on each of their faces, and each one had cringed slightly. Li meditating in the shrine, waiting for his turn to talk to the children, but his eyes were on the candles in front of him, and listening out to the wind. "I promised my daughter, and my wife I would protect them... from anyone or anything that would try and harm them.. _he_ was one of the many threats that I swore to protect them from..." he hung his head. "I failed them..." his voice wobbled. "I failed them both..." **_Did you love but never learn?_** "If such a thing ever came to happen again, hug those you love tightly, before telling them to go and hide... you never know if you'll see them a-"

"Alive." **_But did you see the flares in the sky?_** All the heads turned to Li slowly. The children looked with curiosity, and Hung looked discombobulated, and he stood slowly. "He's alive..."

 ** _Were you blinded by the light?_** "Who is Li?" The old panda slowly turned to the tiger, eyes widened. **_Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?_** Imagines swam around his head restlessly. **_Did you, did you?_**

"My son's alive..." Hung gasped, covering his mouth with his paw. **_Did you see the sparks filled with hope?_** "I... must go find him... at once!" He turned to the mountains edge, where the big bad world was just waiting for him to step forth, out of the safety of the village... to find whom he thought he had lost... His son... the only piece he had of his wife... He turned his head when he felt Hung's shaky paw on his shoulder. The tiger's posture lingered with worry, and possibly a bit of envy, but Li needed to do this. **_You are not alone..._** ** _'Cause someone's out there, sending out flares_**

"I'm going with you." He said, holding onto the golden locket around his neck.

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 ** _But did you see the flares in the sky?_** "I'm Li Zhan..." He announced as to the crowd. Hung hung outside the shop, and watched from a side glance. "I'm looking for my son."

"Dad?" The young panda said in shock. Hung turned his head fully, and smiled as he watched Li cry out, as he and his long lost son hug tightly, like they were never going to let go. The crowd clapped and cheered, as a distraught goose, probably the boy's adopted father, looked on. Hung felt the sympathy, but the joy was dwelling quicker for his friend... **_Were you blinded by the light?_**

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 ** _Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?_** "Your gonna love the five dad! And Master Shifu as well! I can just imagine their faces right now when I tell them I found my biological dad!" The young panda, named _Po_ instead of Wúgū, was grinning like crazy, even though they dragged themselves up a thousand steps. "They should be in the training hall. Right this way!"

"Quite frankly my boy, it was he who found you." Hung chuckled, as he looked back at the giant, beautiful building. "I'm your father's friend, Hung. We go a long way back..."

"A dear friend, I might add. When I thought I lost you son, those years ago," Li smiled weakly as they neared the training hall. As if to know where it was going, Po paused as soon as his paws touched the door handle, and watched as the two elders paused behind him. "We met when I heard a voice in the distance..." Li's paw placed itself on the tigers shoulder. "He had lost his wife... and his daughter." Po's eyes widened, as he looked at the tiger. **_Did you, did you?_**

"Yes... she'd be a little bit younger than you, maybe by a year or so." Hung shook his head held his paws together as he stared down at them. "Let's not bring back sad times to over cost a joyful one, huh Li? Let's meet those who your son works with..."

Po nodded slowly, and opened the door, and they followed him in.

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"It's an honor to meet you sir Li Shan," a red panda, whom must be Master Shifu, because Po bowed to him respectively upon entering. "And you too Sir Hung." Hung nodded back, before turning to the working machine's that Po's supposed 'Furious Five' were at. He watched each other them in each balanced time... "And these are the Furious Five-" Shifu's staff tapped on the ground twice, and all the other Masters jumped over, and landed in front of them, in a crouched bow. "We have Monkey, Mantis, Crane..." Each name that was said, that Master rose their head. "Viper... and then finally, Master Tigress." **_Did you see the sparks filled with hope?_** Hung's eyes widened as she rose her head. Imagines flew past his eyes without taking a chance for him to take them in... "Tigress?"

"Yes sir?" He knelt down.

"Look at me... do you remember me?"

"I don't think we've met-" She then stared back as am image of Hua, holding Sunset... an orange cub with big brown eyes, curled up small and frightened in his arms, mirroring the wideness of Tigress' eyes right now. _"Run Hua." He yelled. "Take our daughter somewhere safe... I will find you!_ The image died when they both stood, now there was a young woman... just like her mother... standing before him. **_You are not alone..._** Li turned to each of the Masters, each mirroring a look of shock. His son's eyes were wide, but there was a huge grin on his face... and the Red Panda shared the Goose's look in the noodle shop; distraught... but with an eye twitch. **_'Cause someone's out there..._**

Tigress stared down at the picture in the locket, before looking back up at Hung, her paws slowly closing into fists...

"Sunset..."

 ** _Sending out flares..._**

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"Father?"

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 ** _Wúgū- Innocent_**

 ** _Hua- flower_**

 ** _Hung - Courageous or Heroic_**

 **There you go guys! This is my beginning of the Songfic collection. Some might turned to longer stories... but who knows :) Hope you like it! The song is 'Flares' by The Script! They are one of my favorite bands!**

 **Hope you like them too already, or after listening to the song!**

 **Got any song fic requests? Leave them in the reviews!**

 **Ciao!**


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